The topic of happiness creates as many thoughts as there are people. What is happiness for you? My entry point to the subject is both personal and work related. I have always been a person who looks at things from the bright side – finding something positive even when something unexpected happens. According to research, people with a positive attitude are much happier than those that look for what is wrong, and I can totally relate to that.
Those who chase for happiness, usually miss the mark. Happiness is very often in the small, joyful moments. It is rather the way, not the destination. To feel happy we usually need three things:
- A meaningful vision of the future
It is valuable to have a clear vision of something to thrive for and to see our own role in pursuing the vision.
- A sense of purpose
We all have a wish for meaningful work in all we do. When our contributions make a difference, we feel good about ourselves.
- Great relationships
The value of relationships is key to our wellbeing. Our social network is directly affecting how we feel, and positive emotions relate to feeling happy.
The psychologist Ed Diener has a researched the theme of happiness and the conclusion is that the frequency of positive experiences is a much better predictor of happiness than the intensity of positive experiences. Somebody who has a dozen of mildly nice things happen each day are usually happier than somebody who has a single truly amazing thing happen. This also shows that the source of happiness is in the small, daily things.
Dr. Lyubomirsky, head researcher from UC Riverside concluded, “When people feel happy, they tend to feel confident, optimistic and energetic and others find them likeable and sociable. Happy people are thus able to benefit from these perceptions.”
Here some hints that can help you create more happy moments in your daily life:
- Accept things as they are
- Enjoy what you already have
- Be honest to yourself
- Focus on being present and on what is important to you
- See the bigger picture and enjoy the ride
- Look at ‘failures’ as learning opportunities
Let’s go a bit deeper. What if you are told that you only have 12 months to live. Would you do the things you are doing now? What would you change? It is very likely that you would make different choices. Maybe you would fulfill a dream that you have postponed time after time. You would probably spend more time with your loved ones. How about doing those changes already now!
Some years ago, I realized that I want to feel even better every day, so what to do about it? I started listening to inspiring people and I created new, lasting habits. How we start and finish our days really matter. The morning sets the tone for the whole day. Now I own my mornings instead of feeling rushed from the moment I get up. What could be a good morning routine for you?
In the evening I transit into bedtime by stopping social media activities at least an hour before sleeping. I also think of what to be grateful of each evening. Those happy moments from the day put a smile on my face and as a bonus it deepens the sleep. Let’s remember that we can create happy moments if we choose so.
This is a text by our guest writer Carita Nyberg who has a role as an Advisor for the Finnish Happiness Research Association.
Carita Nyberg is the Founder and Master Trainer of her company Keys2Balance and she has developed a unique, deep yet practical training method and has helped leaders unleash their full potential and thrive both on a personal and collaborative level. After two decades of transformative work in Finland, she is now building a global Keys2Balance Trainers’ network.
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Author of 7 e-books: https://bookboon.com/fi/author/0908031c-ce02-9b86-11e6-6dd9eff399d1